Housing construction for end car brakes



E. E. VAN CLEAVE Nov. 18, 1941.

HOUSING CONSTRUCTION FOR END CAR BRAKES Filed Ma 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jhuenior- 0e M W Nov.1s,1941. EVAN CL VE A 2,263,111

HOUSING CONSTRUCTION FOR END CAR BRAKES Filed May 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v jzuerzior I ZZZ/72K? Van C'Z'ecwe readily into operative position therein,

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 HOUSING CONSIIBRUC TION FOR, END CAR RAKES EdwinE. Van Cleave, Chicago, Ill. Application May '29, 1940, Serial N0. 337,792

6 Claims. (o1. 74-505) This invention relates to housings for railway brakes, the moving parts of which correspond substantially to the construction disclosed by the patent to Naylor No. 2,174,668, granted October 3, 1939. It is the object of the invention to provide a new and improved form and arrangement of frame and enclosure means for supportrespond under trying conditions of use.

In the improved arrangement as shown by the drawings illustrating the invention, the combination housing and framework comprises a main housing member in the form of a casting or a stamping pressed into form from heavy sheet.

metal, with a front plate portion formedintegrally with side wall and top wall portions, the rear face of the housing member being closed by a back plate also in the form of a casting or a stamping. The main housing member is provided with means for supporting the front bearings for a plurality of Shafts, and the back plate is provided with supporting means for the bearings for the lower two shafts; without the necessity for the provision of additional frame members. The rear bearings for the shafts located at the top portion or the brake mechanism, however, are supported by a single additional frame member which is in the form of a casting ora stamping shaped to fit snugly in the up er end portion of the main housing so as tobe s lidable and shaped to fit snugly between the back plate and portions of the main housing so as to be held strongly in operative position by engagement with the housing parts when the housing is assembled without the necessity for being secured in position in any way other than by its being enclosed in the housing. I

In a modified construction as also illustrated, the rear bearings for all of the operating mechanism are supported from an inserted frame member of the type described, the bearings for the lower shafts being suppported by an arm formed integrally with the top plate portion and extending downwardly therefrom so as to be held rigidly in position thereby.

It is another object of this inventionto improve constructions of this type in sundry de-' attained are illustrated, in the accompanying drawings, in Which- I i Fig. 1 is a front face View of the improved brake, with the greater portion of the operating wheel and a part of the front wall of the housing broken away for clearness of illustration; v

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially at the line 2-'--2. of Fig. 1 but with additional portions of the operating wheel 1 shown; '1

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the housing and frame member taken substantiaily at the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig.4 is a top plan viewof the frame member enclosed by'the housing as shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a front facezview of'cthe frame member shown in Fi 4; f"

Fig. 6 isa horizontal sectional view taken substantially at the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig; '7 is a central vertical sectional view through a modified form of frame plate withportions of associated parts and: i

Fig. 8 is a front face view of the shown in Fig. 7. I i 6 Referring nowflto Figs; 1 to fi inclusive, of the drawings; inwhich corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, Ill in- 'dicatesa housing member comprising. a front plate ll, side plate portions l2, and a top plate portion 13, the several plate portions being formed integrally with each other by a casting operation in the arrangementshown. At the rear. edge portions of the side plates l2 and the top plate .13, a rear plate. M is provided serving to close the housing member [0 except for the opening at the bottom of the housing. The plate l4 also is in the form-of a casting, but it will be understood that thetwo housing members l0 and I4 might be formed otherwise than by casting if it should be so desired.

frame plate As is best shown in Figs. 1 and 6,.the side plates I2are bowed inwardly at I5,at opposite sides of the housing so as to provide two upwardlyfacing bearings or shoulders Hi at the same level at opposite sides of the housing. The side wall portions are also bowed inwardly Mat 11 at their lower end portions. At the inwardly bowed portions-of the side walls, the back plate Mis brought into face to face engagement with a portion of the wall of the housing member ltLatwhich points the two housing members are secured rigidly together by means of rivets IB (see Fig. 1). p

The operating mechanism of the brake oomprises an operating shaft |9 journaled between the front plate I l and the rear plate I 4, such shaft |9 having fixedly mounted thereon a ratchet wheel 20 and a pinion 2|. The pinion 2| is in mesh with a gear 22 carried by a winding sheave 23 journaled between the plates H and M. A chain 24 is secured to the gear 22 and the sheave 23 by means comprising a pin 25 so that upon rotation of the gear the chain 24 is wound about the sheave 23. A pin or lug 26 is mounted upon the sheave 23 in position to engage one of the links of the chain 24, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. A hand wheel 21 is fixedly mounted on the front end of the shaft H in front of the housing member ID, as is best shown in Fig. 2.

In the upper end portion of the housing H], a plurality of shafts or pins 28, 29 and 30 are rigidly mounted, such shafts having their forward ends supported by bearings 3|, 32 and 33, respectively, carried by the front plate H (see Fig. 3). For supporting the rear end portions of the shafts 2B, 29 and 30, a transverse frame plate 34 in the form of a cross bar is provided, slidably mounted in the upper end portion of the housing, resting at its ends upon the upwardly facing bearings It in the side wall portions |2 of the housing member ID. As is clearly shown in Fig. 3, the transverse frame plate 34 is provided with bearings 35, 35 and 31, directly opposite to the bearings 3|, 32 and 33, respectively. As is best shown in Fig. 1, the frame plate 34 is of such size and shape as to fit snugly between the side plates I2, being positioned between the bearings I6 formed by the side plates and the obliquely disposed portions of the casing at its upper end whereby the plate is held firmly against movement either vertically or transversely. As is best shown in Fig. 3, the end portions of the transverse frame plate 34 stand in engagement with lugs 38 formed on the casing at its opposite sides, such lugs serving to hold the frame plate pressed firmly against the rear plate M, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the arrangement shown, the frame plate 34 is in the form of a channel.

As is best indicated in Fig. 1, the shaft 28 is provided with a pawl 39 provided with a counterweight 40 thereon adapted normally to hold the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 20. The pin or shaft 30 in turn is provided with a weighted arm 4| which is in position to engage the top face of the pawl 39 for forcing it into engagement with the ratchet wheel 20. The shaft 29 is provided with a controlling member comprising a lug 42 positioned in a recess 43 in the weighted arm 4| whereby rotary movement of the shaft-29' serves to control the position of the weighted arm with respect to the pawl 39.

In the construction illustrated, the shaft 29 extends forwardly through the front plate ll of the housing, being provided on its outer end with a handle or lever 44 for giving the shaft the desired rotary movement. A spring washer 45 is mounted between the transverse frame plate 34 and a suitable bearing portion on the shaft 29 (not shown) for providing a frictional grip upon the shaft whereby the shaft is held yieldingly against rotary movement from any position to which it is turned. At its rear end, the shaft 29 is provided with a cotter pin 46 which holds a washer 41 in position against the bearing 36 of the transverse frame plate 34 for insuring that the frictionally, acting means shall be effective for controlling the movement of the shaft 29.

Inasmuch as the pawl 39 with its counterweight 40 operates under the control of the weighted arm 4| and the controlling means comprising the shaft 29 and the handle 44 in the same manner as is described in said earlier Naylor patent, it is believed to be unnecessary to describe the same further herein.

By the use of the improved construction as above described, the combination housing and frame parts are made very effective from the standpoint of the operation of the brake and also from the standpoint of providing an enclosure for the protection of the working parts. The arrangement is such that the parts can be very easily and cheaply produced and easily assembled. With the transverse frame plate 34 slidably fitted in the upper end of the housing so as to be held against movement either vertically or sidewise as above described, it is unnecessary that any means be provided for holding said frame plate in position other than through the medium of the housing parts provided with the spacing lugs 38. In the assembly of the parts, the shafts 28, 29 and 30 are slipped into position in the bearings carried by the housing member l9, together with the interfitted parts carried thereby, after which the plate 34 is slid into place and the pin 46 is inserted through the shaft 29 so as to hold the spring washer 45 compressed. The arrangement is such that the parts go very quickly and easily into their designed positions and such that the parts are held in position by engagement with the back plate I 4.

In the construction shown in Figs. '7 and 8, a modified form of frame plate is shown corresponding to the frame plate 34 of the arrangement first described. As is best shown in Fig. 8, the modified frame plate comprises a cross bar portion 48 in the form of a casting having an arm 49 extending downwardly therefrom at its central portion. The cross bar portion 48 is provided with bearings 50, 5| and 52 corresponding with the bearings 35, 36 and 3! of the plate 34, the cross bar portion 48 being of the same size and shape as the plate 34 so as to be held rigidly in position in the upper end portion of the housing in the same manner as is above described in connection with the plate 34. As is clearly shown in Fig. 7, the arm 49 is offset rearwardly with respect to the cross bar portion 48 so as to extend downwardly at the rear face of the housing, such arm being provided with bearings 53 and 54 for supporting the rear ends of the shafts l9 and 23 respectively. The arm 49 is provided with a strengthening rib 55 between the bearings 53 and 54 and with a second strengthening rib 56 about its outer edge portion, such ribs 55 and 56 being located on the front face of the plate. The cross bar portion 48 is provided with a strengthening rib 51 at its rear face about the outer edge portions of the bar. At its lower end, the arm 49 is provided with obliquely extending lugs 58 adapted to engage the shoulders at l! in the side plate portions I2 for bracing the arm more strongly in position.

By the use of this modified form of frame plate member, I am enabled to use a substantially plain straight back plate member 59 in lieu of the slightly different form of back plate as shown in Fig. 2 arranged for supporting the bearings for the shafts l9 and 23. By the use of the modified arrangement, the assembly of the brake and housing is simplified, since the frame plate can be connected in operative position in the front housing member for holding the operating parts in their final working positions before the parting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 1. In a hand brake structure for railway cars,

7 the combination of a housing member comprising a face plate and top and side plate portions rigidly connected together in unit form, .a second face plate secured to said unit housing member opposite to said first-named plate portion so as to form a housing therewith, operating parts for said brake rotatably supported at one face of the housing by one of said face plate portions, and means for rotatably supporting said operating parts at the opposite face of the housing comprising a frame plate having a snug sliding fit in apor'tion of said unit housing member so as to be held rigidly in position by engagement with the assembled housing members.

2. In a hand brake structure for railway cars, the combination of a housing member comprising a face plate and top and side plate portions rigidly connected together in unit form, a second face plate secured to said unit housing member opposite to said first-named plate portion so as to form a housing therewith, operating parts'for said brake rotatably supported at one face of the housing by one of said face plate portions, and means for rotatably supporting said operating parts at the opposite face of the housing comprising a frame plate slidably supported in said unit housing member by means of a cross bar portion extending across the upper end part of the housing and engaging upwardly facing bearings provided by the housing so as to be held rigidly in position by engagement with the assembled housing members.

3. In a hand brake structure for railway cars,

the combination of a front housing member in the form of a casting comprising a front plate and top and side plate portions, 2, back plate 7 member for closing the rear face of said housing member, operating parts for said brake rotatably supported in front by said front plate portion of the housing, and means for rotatably supporting said operating parts at the back comprising a frame plate having a portion thereof in snug rotatably supported in front by said front plate portion of the housing and fitting snugly therein prising a front plate and top and side plate portions rigidly connected into unit form therewith, a back plate member for closing the rear face of said front housing member, operating parts for said brake comprising a ratchet wheel and a pawl in cooperative holding relation thereto portion of the housing, bearing means for rotatably supporting said ratchet wheel and said pawl at the rearface of the housing comprising a bearing for at least said pawl carried by a frame plate slidably mounted in the upper end so as to beheld against movement either vertically or transversely, and lugs carried by said housing member adapted by engagement with said frame plate to press said frame plate rigidly as to be held firmly in I against said back plate so position. in the housing.

5. In a hand brake structure for railway cars, the combination of a housing member comprising a faceplate and top and side plate portions rigidly connected together in unit form, a second face plate secured to said unit housing member opposite to said first-named plate portion so as to form a housing therewith, operating parts for said brake rotatably supported at oneface of the housing by one of said face plate portions, and means for rotatably supporting said operating parts at the opposite face of the housing,

comprising a frame plate slidably supported in said unit housing member by means of a cross bar portion extending across the upper end part of the housing and engaging upwardly facing bearings provided by the housing so as to be held rigidly in position by engagement with the assembled housing members, and an arm extending downwardly from said cross bar portion in fixed position with respect thereto for assisting in the support of said operating parts.

6. In a hand brake structure forrailway cars,

the combination of. two housing members cooperating to form a housing and comprising spaced front plate and back plate portions, a frame plate slidably mounted in the housing so as to be held rigidly in position therein by engagement with the assembled housing members, a winding sheave rotatably supported by said front plate portion of the housing and by said'frame plate, a ratchet wheel rotatably supported by said front plate portion of the housing and by said frame plate,

means operatively connecting said ratchet Wheel I with saidwinding sheave for causing said parts to rotate in unison, and a pawl rotatably supported by said front plate portion of the housing and by said frame plate in position for operative engagement with saidratchet wheel for holding the ratchet wheel normally against rotation in A one direction.

EDWIN E. VAN CLEAVE. 

